Lifestyle

Camp Inc.: Summer Camp for the Next Mark Zuckerberg

Camp Inc. will focus on teaching entrepreneurship while also infusing elements of traditional sleepaway programs and Jewish values. Campers are intended to step away with an understanding of how to launch a start-up.

Val Weisler didn't want to wait to graduate to do what she loves, so one Friday afternoon about a year ago the high school sophomore started a company. She made a website after googling instructions on how to build one, put together a Facebook page, and launched The Validation Project, a community and resource for teens.

The 16-year-old New York native is passionate about what she does and doesn't mind spending her free time working with professionals much older than she is instead of hanging out with friends. This summer though, Weisler will be immersed in a community of people her own age who share her entrepreneurial spirit at Camp Inc., as entrepreneurship-themed Jewish sleepaway camp in Boulder, Colorado opening this summer.

"Just the thought of being able to be in a place for a couple of weeks with teenagers who have the same passions that I do is incredible," Weisler told Mashable. "It shouldn't be new, it should be something that's going on everywhere."

The two- to three-week program is a comprehensive introduction to the startup world, but will have a traditional sleepaway camp culture, with time for things like cabin activities and swimming. When campers arrive, they will meet with professional entrepreneurs and participate in creative exercises to come up with three ideas for a company concept to develop. Staff members will then divide them into teams of four in which everyone will have a different management role, such as CEO or CFO. Throughout the program the campers — ranging from seventh graders to high school seniors — will learn about business by essentially starting their own.

And this isn't make believe. Campers are expected to leave with not only the skills to pursue their own business ventures, but also with a community of peers and mentors that supports and understands their dreams. Before they head home, each team will pitch their startup to a panel of real investors — an opportunity that could lead to actual cash.

"They generally know they're thinking differently," Camp Inc. Director Josh Pierce told Mashable. "They have these wild, great ideas and with a little help and some mentorship can really turn them into fantastic products."

There are approximately 12,000 camps in the United States; about 7,000 are residential, allowing campers to stay overnight, according to the American Camp Association (ACA). Sleepaway camp itself is hardly a novel concept, but specialty programs are rising in popularity. Some, like Camp Inc., are launched at the outset with a specific focus in mind, but other traditional camps have also begun adding specialty tracks to their existing models.

A little more than half of camp directors who participated in the 2013 ACA Emerging Issues survey reported starting specialized activities or programs in areas such as nature or cooking. Specialty programs started becoming more popular about 20 years ago, but in the last decade camps dedicated to specific interests have really grown, according to Peg Smith, CEO of the ACA.

The concept for Camp Inc. came from Jonathan Lev, executive director of Boulder's Jewish Community Center. Lev approached Pierce, an entrepreneur who has launched a number of startups, for assistance designing the program in the summer of 2012. They applied for a spot in the Specialty Camps Incubator, a Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) initiative that helps develop unique Jewish programs with funding and workshops. In September 2012, Camp Inc. and three other programs were chosen to receive $1.2 million over five years. This is the second time the foundation is running the incubator: In 2010 it helped launch five camps, all of which are still in business today.

"It was a very unique concept with a unique program and format," FJC CEO Jeremy Fingerman told Mashable. "For some kids this is going to help them articulate who they're becoming as independent adults."

There are many reasons why kids might choose to go to a specialty camp over more traditional options, but Fingerman points to a desire kids have to give themselves an edge when applying to high schools and colleges or to simply focus on exploring a personal interest. ACA's Smith agreed, adding that it may be beneficial for campers to be in a community of like-minded peers with whom they can grow and learn.

Daniel Atias, a high school freshman in Oakland, California, decided to go after a close friend made plans to attend, and feels Camp Inc. is a good match because he is interested in business. The 15-year-old buys iPhones — some broken, some functioning — and sells them for a profit on eBay and Craigslist for $25 to $350. He told Mashable he is excited to meet other teens with a flair for business.

Campers will be taught skills such as how to pitch their startup, put together a simple website and establish a budget — in short, everything they would need to know to bring their product or idea to market. In addition to regular counselors, there will be two specialists on staff who have real-world experience in business and entrepreneurship. There will also be workshops with professionals and regular trips into Boulder or Denver to shop for supplies and visit startups based in the area.

There are other summer programs out there focused on entrepreneurship, such as Camp BizSmart and Forward Thinking Initiatives' Teen Business and Innovation Camp, but many of these programs are based on college campuses as opposed to a more typical camping locale, and are often not overnight. Camp Inc. also appears to be the first to infuse Judaism into its curriculum. At its core, Camp Inc. is a Jewish program with Jewish values such as "tikkun olam" (repairing the world), respect and support. Each week the camp will celebrate the holiday of Shabbat, a time when everyone will unplug.

There are about 50 kids signed up for Camp Inc. from 13 different states, as well as Israel and Canada, said Pierce. He expects there to be about 70 by the time registration ends and hopes to expand to a few hundred campers in the next few years.

"The older you get you have people who are telling you you can't do this," Pierce said. "It's important for people who are getting into this to have access to programs like this."

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